The Path of Embers and Rain
by Maeve.Pendergast
Summary: "The Sith's colour. No. Not to our General. Not to General Kenobi. He cannot have gone Dark." (Based on DevilAngel657's 'How the Clone Wars Should Have Ended' found on AO3).
1. I

Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi frowned as he looked upon what was to be their staging area. A deep valley more than 10 klicks across and 2 klicks deep, the terrain was all swampland which made it almost impossible for tanks and walkers to move. Fortunately, that made it difficult for the droids of the Separatist armies to move as well. The other generals had predicted high casualties and Obi-Wan unfortunately had to agree with them. With such a low-sunk area, air support was going to be difficult and troop reinforcements would have to land at the top of the ridge before marching down the cliff face.

But more than that, the area was proving to be cumbersome and problematic for the Jedi. The Force in this hemisphere of the planet swirled in darkness. It was heavy, like a wet wool blanket. It bogged down the Jedi and muffled their Force abilities. And a Jedi with little control of the Force had a greater chance of error. Error that could cost their life. And that had happened too much already.

Drawn to the source of this curious divergence, Obi-Wan had taken a gunship and a small squad of clones out to investigate. Barely 2 klicks away from the staging valley, a massive, foreboding, monolithic structure cut out of the marsh like blade through cloth. Obi-Wan stumbled back a step when he caught sight of the edifice.

 _A Sith Temple. No wonder everything is foggy._

"Are you alright, Sir?" The mechanized voice of a clone sounded in the Jedi's ears, startling him.

 _Cody. Ever the worrywort._

"Oh, yes Cody. I'm quite alright. The Force here is muddled. It churns in a way completely foreign to me which caught me off guard. Most of the time, a Sith Temple is entirely dark but this, this Temple, is… not. Like it hasn't completely fallen to the Dark. There is light, hiding there just waiting for someone to free it…" Obi-Wan's voice sounded like he was a thousand parsecs away, like his mind was in a different place.

In order to ensure the safety of the gunship, they landed a few hundred feet from the temple. Obi-Wan lead the small group consisting of Cody, Waxer, and Boil towards the structure. Every step closer, Obi-Wan heard a whisper.

… _The Light Side calls for you, diplomat…_

… _The Dark Side can give you power, emperor…_

… _Light. Light. Light, child. Come to the Light…_

… _Dark. Dark. Dark, apprentice. You crave the dark…_

Cody kept a watchful eye on his general, who walked a few steps ahead of everyone. His face was paling rapidly and he kept tilting his head from side to side as if two people on either side of him were having a conversation.

The closer they got to the Temple, the more the voices spoke. They warned, they coaxed, they begged, they screamed, but nevertheless Obi-Wan kept walking. He had to keep walking.

He felt the Dark burn like walking on smouldering embers and he felt the Light soothe like the rain washing over upon him.

The stone base of the temple was just in front of him. One more step, and he'd cross the threshold. Obi-Wan paused, apprehensive. _If I step, what will happen? What will I become?_ He inhaled a deep, courage-summoning breath, closed his eyes, and placed one foot over the line. Nothing happened. Beryl eyes opened, curiosity and concern flitting through the irises. Another step, nothing. Right foot, nothing. Left foot, nothing. As Obi-Wan was reaching to take one more step, everything changed. It was as if a great beast had hooked a clawed hand around his ankle and was dragging him to be devoured. The Jedi fell, shoulder hitting the stone with a crack. He pawed and scrabbled for a grip with his uninjured shoulder, for anything that would prevent him for being pulled into whatever fate awaited him.

Cody, Waxer, and Boil bolted towards him but before their feet could hit the stone, they were thrown backwards, away from the danger. Disorientated, Cody stood up and looked to see what caused them to be thrown. And there, lying on his stomach, back twisted sickeningly, shoulder sticking out at an unnatural angle, and hand outstretched, was their general. Their own general had thrown them. A flash of anger and betrayal flickered through Cody and for a split second he wanted to strangle the Jedi. But then a pained cry, a plea so despairing it banished that anger like a candle flame in the wind.

"I'm sorry, Cody. If you try to do anything, it will only make it worse. Please, just stay away. I'm sorry."

Cody nodded slowly, unable to get his throat to force any words out. It seemed to be the only confirmation Obi-Wan needed. Shutting his eyes, he let go. He let go of his perilous grip and he let the talon overtake him. He screamed, the pain overwhelming his shields and clawing into his mind. _All I feel is darkness. It's coming for me. I see in the corners of my eyes and in the shadows of my mind. It is coming. It is growing. It is a plague. Give in. Let go. The fight is over._

The clones watched helplessly as their general was pulled quickly into the structure. Cody stared, horror-stricken. _Could this be the last time we see him? Did we just witness the death of the Great Negotiator Obi-Wan Kenobi? Will we be the ones who must march back to General Skywalker and tell him of his brother's death? Will we be blamed?_

There was a noise, a terrible screeching noise. It sounded like metal on metal, a blade scratching the edge of a door frame, a ship scraping along the hull of another. The walls were closing. The entire side of the structure was closing. And there, in the middle of it all, was Obi-Wan Kenobi, hovering a metre above the ground in front of an altar. On the altar, were two crystals. One blue for hope. One red for blood. Cody saw the general reach for the red one before the massive doors slammed shut and the world went silent. Nobody saw the single gleaming tear slide down the clone commander's face but the world felt it.

 _The fate of Obi-Wan Kenobi is sealed._


	2. II

"Ahsoka! Behind you!" Anakin shouted as a stray blaster bolt shot straight at his young padawan. She whipped around and deflected the blast back just moments before it would have fatally contacted with her head. The red flame hit the last battle droid and it fell, smoking, in pieces to the ground.

"Well Master, that's the last one." Ahsoka declared, wiping a drop of sweat from her forehead.

"Don't get your hopes up, Snips. Dooku is bound to have more coming soon. Rex," Anakin called to the nearby clone who was talking with the remaining members of his squadron. At the call, Rex turned and walked towards Anakin, helmet masking any trace of question on his face.

"Yes sir?"

"Has there been any word from Obi-Wan yet? He never returned from their scouting and we could really use the support."

"We have not received any word from him yet. Shall I try to contact him again?"

"Yes Rex, thank you."

There was a pause as Rex retrieved his comm from his belt and then a series of beeps as he inputted the correct code to reach General Kenobi. _No response_.

"Typical. The one time we need Obi-Wan he's nowhere to be found. Try reaching Cody instead."

Rex simply nodded and tried the call once more. Again, _no response_.

Ahsoka spoke up behind the two men, "Master, do you feel that?"

"Feel what, Ahsoka?"

And then all Anakin felt was pain. Flaming, burning, torturing, excruciating pain. He fell to his knees, screaming before the world went black and his head hit the ground.

"...aster….can ou… ear us… nakin… aster…"

Anakin groaned as he sat up and waited for the world to stop spinning.

"Master, can you hear us? Are you alright?"

He blinked multiple times and raised a hand to cradle his head.

"... What happened? I feel like I got run over by a herd of bantha."

"Well… we don't really know. We were trying to contact Obi-Wan and I felt this little flare in the Force like when you burn yourself on a hot mug, and then you starting screaming and just, sort of, collapsed."

 _Obi-Wan… Obi-Wan… OBI-WAN…_

"Where's Obi-Wan? Something's happened to him." Anakin shouted as he started suddenly and grabbed Ahsoka's arm tightly.

"We don't know. We've been trying to contact him for almost an hour. No word from Cody or the gunner pilot either."

Anakin frowned, deep lines of sorrow and worry etching themselves on his face.

 _What in the galaxy has Obi-Wan gotten himself into?_

* * *

Flashes. Flashes of images, visions. Too many, too fast to put them together.

… _Clones. Betrayal. Death. 66…_

… _Qui-Gon. Bant. Joy. …_

… _Sith. Maul. Dark. 66…_

… _Tahl. Happiness. Braids. …_

… _Dark. Dying. Can't breathe. 66…_

… _Anakin. Vader. Padme… 66…_

… _Rebels. Ghosts. Rogues…_

… _Hope. Child of the Stars. Brilliance. …_

… _Thousands die. Terror. Silence… 66…_

… _66… 66… 66… It's all my fault…_

 _Obi-Wan… let go… Take the red crystal, and all will be okay._

That voice… that beautiful voice is so familiar.

"Master? Is that you? How are you here? Master?"

 _Embrace the dark and you will learn. Everything will be okay._

"But master, I'm so scared. I know I shouldn't be but I am. I'm so scared."

 _Shh… my dear Obi-Wan. Just take the crystal… you will be okay. Everybody will be okay._

"Yes, Master."

Obi-Wan reached out a shaking hand and grasped the scarlet crystal. It was warm and seemed to hum like a ship's hyperdrive. A small grin fell upon his face and he closed his eyes. The Force around him murmured with Qui-Gon's force signature. Obi-Wan could even smell the hints of lemongrass and tea, an earthy oaky scent that always made Obi-Wan feel at home and safe.

… _Obi-Wan, my dear Obi-Wan, you must care for your friends. You must care for Anakin and his padawan, and the clones. You must protect them at all costs. If you do, the events you have seen will never come to pass. Do not let anyone harm them and the future will not be as you have seen it. You made me a promise that you would train the boy and you did. For that, I am forever grateful. But now I must ask of you another favour. You must protect and care for them. You must be the one to defeat the Sith. Promise me, little one, promise me that…_

"I promise, Master."

… _As it should be. You were always such a loyal padawan. Goodbye, dear Obi-Wan. I shall speak to you again…_

Qui-Gon's signature began to fade and that smell, that strong, comforting smell began to vanish.

"No, Master. Come back! Come back, I need you! No! Please don't leave me again!"

But his pleas went unanswered.

Obi-Wan was released from his invisible hold and dropped to the ground with a smack and a hiss of pain. _Little Gods, Qui-Gon, could you have at least let me down gently?_

Slowly, as to not jar his dislocated shoulder he stood up and approached a stone column along the wall. Taking a deep breath and reaching out for the Force, he leaned back and then whipped forward slamming into the wall and painfully popping his shoulder back into place. He cried out in pain, before resting his forehead against the cool stone for a moment.

 _Sith's Hell, remind me not to dislocate my shoulder again. And if I do, make sure I'm sedated first._

Cody knew something was happening the moment he heard Obi-Wan cry out from within the Temple. Resisting the urge to charge forward, remembering his general's previous orders, the clone waited with baited breath. And then that noise began again. The screeching noise, as the walls began to open. They only opened a metre, the blinding light from within the temple making it impossible to see who or what was walking out. He heard footsteps and then a few seconds of the screeching, and then silence. Blinking rapidly, Cody, Waxer, and Boil looked up to see their general standing ahead of them, in perfect shape. Not a scratch, burn, cut, or stain on either his tunics or his armour. Quick, light footsteps carried the general to the clones where he began _,_ what could best be described as _mothering_?

"Cody, I am so sorry to have kept you waiting. Are you okay? Did anything happen? Oh, look at you you're exhausted! I am _so_ sorry. I just got caught up in everything. And your armour is filthy! You really ought to clean that! We have to have our troops looking their best!" And then the General did something nobody had ever expected in a million years. He removed his glove, licked his thumb and rubbed at a scratch on Waxer's helmet.

Cody opened his mouth to speak but before a single sound could escape his mouth, the comlink mounted on his wrist began to beep incessantly. General Kenobi turned and made eye contact with the clone. His normal blue eyes that were daggers of strength and stability were now ochre.

 _The Sith's colour. No. Not to our General. Not to General Kenobi. No. They taught about this in training. Force users with amber or yellow eyes are evil. They've been corrupted with the Dark Side and are not safe. But this is General Kenobi, the general Kenobi who would not harm a soul unless he absolutely has to. He cannot have gone Dark. No. It's not possible. He is my general and my friend. I will not leave him. I will not abandon him._

"Well, aren't you going to answer that, Cody? It's rude to keep a caller waiting!"

Cody, still maintaining eye contact with the general, pressed the 'accept' button on his commlink.

"Cody here."

"Oh thank the Force. Cody, what happened? Where's Obi-Wan? I felt something happen. It felt like a Sith. Is Obi-Wan okay? Did you guys find a Sith? Do you need assistance?"

"Everything's fine, General Skywalker sir. No Sith, just General Kenobi." Cody's voice dropped down to a whisper as Kenobi continued to fuss with the other clones. "Something happened to him, Sir. General Kenobi's eyes, sir. They're not blue anymore. They're yellow."

"What? They're what?" Skywalker yelled through the commlink. The sudden change in volume attracted the attention of Kenobi but the string of Huttese curses that that followed Skywalker's shouts pulled the Lost Jedi over like a pod racer to a winner's purse.

"Tsk tsk, Anakin. It's very impolite to swear in front of others. Didn't I teach you better?"

After his scold, Obi-Wan turned back around and continued to clean the clones' armour using the front of his tunics.

"Obi-Wan? Is that you? Cody, what is going on? If the temple caused Obi-Wan to turn to the Dark Side, he should be trying to kill you right now. And as much as I really don't want to believe it, you must assume that Obi-Wan is not himself and that he _is_ dangerous. Bring him back to base immediately. There's a break in the battle right now but the Separatists are coming back. Get back here now."

"Right away sir."

"And Cody, if it becomes apparent that Obi-Wan may be dangerous, subdue him immediately. The Dark Side of the Force is powerful. I hope it doesn't come to that and I can't think of what would happen should that situation arise. Be _careful_."

"Yes, sir."

Cody shut off the commlink and straightened up.

"General Kenobi, Skywalker is in need of our assistance. We must leave immediately."

"Well let's get going. I have a promise to my Master to keep and I must see it fulfilled."


	3. III

_Strike, Slash, Deflect. Block, block, block. Stab, Slash. Stab, block._

The deadly dance continued for hours until the last tank was nothing more than a smouldering hull and the battle ground was littered with the bodies of clones and droids alike.

Anakin collapsed against a rock and slid down it panting, head in his hands.

 _Breathe, Anakin. Breathe in, breathe out, the Force breathes with you. In, out, in, out. Obi-Wan will be okay. In, out. He could never go dark. In, out. He will be fine. He will be fine._

"Excuse me, General Skywalker, sir. General Kenobi has returned. Commander Cody is wishing to speak with you."

"Yes, thank you Geyser. I'll be right there."

Summoning the strongest shields he could, Anakin hoisted himself up, ignoring the weariness in his legs and the heaviness in his heart.

Obi-Wan's gunship had landed a few hundred feet from the main battle area to prevent it being shot down or targeted. Standing just outside of the hull was Obi-Wan, flanked perpetually by Waxer and Boil.

 _No doubt Cody's precautions_ , Anakin thought.

As Anakin got closer and closer, he heard his Master _nagging?_

"Waxer, Boil, you boys really ought to get more sleep! Why don't you two go lie down? I'm fine. Cody's just being overprotective."

"Sorry, can't do that sir. We have our orders."

Waxer caught a glimpse of Skywalker striding over and shot him a pleading glance.

"Orders? Orders from who? Your welfare really should come first, you know. Are you two hungry? I think I have a protein bar around here or I could scrounge up a ration pack? It's important that you're at the top of your game. How's your mental health been? Sleeping alright? Nightmares? Because you know-"

But before he could finish his speech, the concerned voice of one Anakin Skywalker rang out, silencing the older Jedi at once.

"Obi-Wan, are you okay? What happened? Why are you fussing about the clones? You've never mothered anybody, not even _me._ "

"Now that's unfair, Anakin. I care for all of you and I just want to make sure they're okay! Speaking of which, how are _you_ doing? Little Gods, your tunic is _filthy_! Come here, let me brush it off. When was the last time you ate? Meditated? Have you focused your sabre crystal lately? You really can't risk it fracturing. Come here, Anakin. You have something on your face." Obi-Wan spoke and he reached a hand up to rub a smudge of mud above Anakin's eyebrow. Anakin tensed when he did so and after Obi-Wan pulled his hand back to rub his beard contemplatively; after a moment, he licked his palm and reached up to smooth Anakin's unkempt and dusty hair. A little ways behind Obi-Wan, Anakin heard Ahsoka and the clones snort and start laughing. As the older Jedi stretched his arm out to brush his padawan's tunic Anakin grabbed the arm mid-motion causing Obi-Wan to look up at him confused.

"Obi-Wan," Anakin replied but Obi-Wan pulled his arm away and tried to brush off Anakin's other shoulder, "Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan, stop. I'm not saying you don't care. It's just, you're _mothering_ them like they're your children or something. Now, do you want to tell me _what the kriff is going on?!"_

Obi-Wan opened his mouth then closed it again. He shot a glance at the clones by his side.

"Not in front of them, over here." Obi-Wan began to move towards a secluded spot away from the others. Waxer and Boil started to follow but Anakin waved them off and mouthed, _It's okay. I can handle this._ Boil nodded nervously but acquiesced.

"Master Qui-Gon gave me a mission. I have to protect everybody. I have to take down the Sith"

"Master Qui-Gon?" Anakin sighed and placed his hands on his Master's broad shoulders.

"Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon is _gone_. He died 13 years ago this year. I know it's still hard for you, but Master Qui-Gon is _dead_. He could not have given you a mission. I'm sorry but he's gone."

Obi-Wan's face paled but his unnerving yellow eyes became rife with anger. He shoved off Anakin's hands and stepped closer to Anakin, faces nearly touching, the Force swirling about him in a violent storm.

"Do not tell me what can and cannot be. You were not there. You did not hear his voice or feel his Force signature. He was there, Anakin. He told me that the dark side could help me. That if I joined the dark, the future I have seen will not come to pass. I have a responsibility to Qui-Gon, to you, to Ahsoka, and to _all_ the clones. I will protect them or die trying."

 _The future? What future has he seen that would convince him, the Great Negotiator, child of Light, son of the Jedi Temple, to join the Dark Side. What could have been so horrifying? I need to know what it is. And I have just the idea._

"Alright, Obi-Wan. Calm down. I trust you, if you say he was there, he was there. Now come on, let's get back and rested before the battle starts up again."

The older Jedi Master stepped back and the Force around him settled into a gentle wave, only faint traces of agitation rising up to the surface.

"Waxer, Boil, stay on him. I'm not convinced he's completely 'here' mentally. And if he fusses about you, let him. If you reject him, he might get angry and that's when he becomes dangerous."

The two clones both nodded before saluting and following their assigned charge where he wandered over to the others, kneeling besides them, chatting with them, and checking in on those injured.

"Cody, Rex, Ahsoka, come over here." The trio had been quietly whispering and glancing apprehensively at Obi-Wan. They all paced over to the general who stood sequestered away from the rest of the group.

"Master, is Obi-Wan alright? What happened? Did he really turn into a Sith?"

"Well Snips… I really don't know. He certainly doesn't act like any Sith I've ever met. Part of that could be because some small fragment of him is clinging to the Light or part of it could be because that's not in his nature as a person. Now he didn't tell me much about what actually happened _inside_ the Temple but I think I have a plan to figure it out. He mentioned something about seeing a dark future and how he was given a mission to protect everyone even if it meant sacrificing himself to do it. The only way he could prevent the future from happening was to give in to the Dark Side."

"But did he say what this future was?" Rex spoke on Anakin's left side.

"No. But I have a plan to possibly figure it out."

"Okay General, what's your idea?"

"Alright so this is what we're going to do…"

* * *

As quickly as the battle had ended, it began again. That was the way of the Seppies. Their strategy was exhaustion. They have droids that don't need to eat, don't need to rest, don't need care. If they continued to attack, rest, attack, rest; they could easily wear out the Republic's human clones. The battles were in waves, over and over again until nothing was left standing.

So far, the battle was in favour of the Republic and everything was going right.

 _I will defeat the Sith. I must protect my friends, my brothers, my children._

That was until a flash of red, a cry of pain, a dropped sabre. _No._

Obi-Wan whipped around and his face went white as a sheet.

There, lying upon the swampy marshland was Ahsoka, his padawan, his granddaughter. Anakin and Rex knelt beside her, pressing down on that rapidly bleeding wound in her stomach and comforting the girl. Her life force was ebbing away like a bright star burning out.

 _Even stars burn out._ _No not her, not for a very long time._

"Who? Who did this?" Obi-Wan roared, his voice raspy and enraged. The Dark churning around him like a tempest, the strength nearly knocking the breath out of all around him.

Cody raised an arm and gestured at the droids, at all of them. "It was them…"

And then he was gone. There was a blur of tan, _yes a blur,_ and then a streak of blue. Obi-Wan was virtually unrecognizable from the surroundings as he cut down hundreds and hundreds of droids with Force-enhanced power. Anakin had never seen anyone or anything move as fast as Obi-Wan did. He was calling on the Dark Side of the Force. The raw, uncontrolled power was overwhelming. It called to Anakin, _come join the Dark Side, hear it call for you, you can become powerful_ … Obi-Wan's sabre was a scorching cerulean ribbon that stretched across the battlefield, moving so quickly it burned into the eyes of all watching.

A tap on Anakin's shoulder brought him out of his shocked stupor.

"Sir, we must administer the suppressant now if it is to work."

"Yes… Yes, let's do this. Snips, are you ready for this?"

The young girl nodded and swallowed thickly. Rex placed the syringe against her neck and depressed the plunger. Anakin squeezed her shoulder and stroked her hand.

"Ahsoka, you can do this. It will be okay. We'll see you in a little bit."

And the Togruta's eyes slid shut.

Obi-Wan bolted back to his padawan, only to find the worst. Anakin knelt over Ahsoka sobbing, the girl's breath and light, gone. And the rage grew; like a wildfire without rain, the blaze grew. The man turned around. Striding towards him was Dooku.

In the empty battlefield, where the remains of droids laid like leaves in the autumn, stood the two men. Face to face, mere paces apart, the presence of the two acting as a catalyst in the Force. It burned like the sun on Tatooine, through skin and bones, aching inside Anakin's heart.

"Well my grandpadawan, it's nice to see that you have finally come to your senses. The Dark suits you."

"I am not Dark. I walk the line between Dark and Light, the grey area no one cares to speak of. I will not become powerful, not in your name, not ever. You betrayed Qui-Gon, you _killed_ him. And I will make you pay."

"Good… good. Revenge is not for a Jedi. Your resolve is weakening."

"I will _not_ join you." Obi-Wan spat and the ground around him rumbled in agreement.

"Then stand and fight. I challenge you, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Grey Jedi, to a duel of _rakjaihan_."

"I accept your challenge, Dooku, Dark Sith. _Veran nei keptea'a."_

Anakin's face turned a sickly green and he slumped back horrified.

"Sir, Sir are you alright? What does that mean? What are they saying?" Cody's voice was urgent in his ears. Anakin swallowed thickly, barely able to force the words out.

"Rakjaihan is an ancient duelling practice. It means 'death in pieces'. The duellers aim to remove as many of their opponent's limbs as possible until only their head remains. It is a forbidden practice, only mentioned in historical archives. Most duels end with both challengers missing all or most of their limbs. After a certain point, the duellists begin to use the Force to fight, controlling their sabres and manipulating the environment to win. And _Veran nei keptea'a_ is 'In death, unity restored' which is a prayer of luck said from one dueller to another, wishing that when one dies, their body will be whole again and they will not have to live in the afterlife as a restless soul."

Nobody spoke after that; they didn't need to. Cody and Rex sent terrified glances towards Obi-Wan before they gently lifted up the now 'lifeless' Ahsoka and carried her over to the medical gunship where she would wait to be revived. Anakin sat perfectly still watching every infinitesimal movement the two challengers made, judging, analysing anything that could be perceived as weakness.

The ground rumbled suddenly like a great dragon was breathing beneath them and then there was motion, bright and blinding. The two sabres, crimson and cerulean, clashed in a deafening scream and Anakin was amazed that their crystals did not shatter with the force of the blow. They fought so quickly, all that could be seen was the blue and red flashing by like dust in the wind. If Anakin had thought Obi-Wan was moving fast before, now was like watching a podrace in fast forward. All that could be heard was the shrieking hum of the blades. Both men were expert swordsmen, this duel could go on for hours. But then, as quickly as it began, it was over. A great triumphant swell in the Force and then silence. No screams, no shrieks, no curses, _nothing_.

Obi-Wan stood on a piece of smouldering metal, the embers of the battle only remaining, _both_ blades in his hands and pointed down at the ground where they guessed Dooku lay. His voice was fierce and enraged as he spoke,

"I will not kill you because that would be a merciful death and you deserve to die in agony. But I swear upon my life, if you hurt them, any of them, I will come for you. I will hunt you down and destroy you until you are nothing but microscopic pieces of ash floating about the cosmos."

Obi-Wan disengaged the scarlet blade and tossed it aside before turning abruptly and stalked back to the remaining group.

"Dooku will run away like a scared pup now. I have dealt with him. I _will_ prevent the Sith from coming to power."

Nobody said a word.


	4. IV

It was an awkward and tense ride back to the Jedi Cruiser _Allegiant_. Once docked, Obi-Wan immediately vanished, scurrying off to some forgotten corner of the ship.

"Waxer, Boil, go after him. Make sure he's alright. I don't know if he sustained any injuries in the duel."

Both spoke synchronously, "Yes, Sir."

"Oh, and keep me updated on his movements. If he does or says anything weird, I want to know _immediately._ I just hope we can figure out a way to bring him back from this." His voice dropped to a whisper, "I can't live without him."

Waxer and Boil said nothing more, keeping their thoughts on the general's last sentence to themselves. They straightened and marched away, following the runaway Jedi.

Anakin sighed and fought the urge to just lie down on the durasteel floor right there. He was _so_ tired. The fight to resist the Dark when it swirled so freely around Obi-Wan was taxing; it reached for him like greedy hands like beggars looking for credits. Sleep called for him for the first time in far too long but he had a padawan to care for. A padawan who right now was playing dead. With a quickened step he paced into the _Allegiant_ 's medical bay. Lying on a bed in the packed bay was the still sedated Ahsoka flanked on either side by Rex and Cody acting as buffers from the commotion around. Rex turned to face his general when he arrived.

"Sir, I have the revival equipment. Whenever you're ready."

"I have to guide her Force presence back first, give me a minute."

Rex simply nodded and stepped back from the unconscious girl. Anakin placed two fingers on Ahsoka's forehead and sank into the warp and weft of the Force. Because Obi-Wan is Force-sensitive, they had to bury her Force presence deep in her mind so she could not be detected by him. Anakin had guided her there while Obi-Wan was fighting the droids. And now he must guide her back. He wound through the rows and hallways of his padawan's mind until he found the glint of her presence. Carefully he reached and touched it, gently pulling it along with him back through the maze until it was centred just behind the first door into her mind and there he left it. If he pulled any amount through the door with him, that piece would be lost forever. There was a reason this procedure was not done often. It came at great risk to the participant. With a feather light touch, he opened the door, stepped through it, and closed it behind him. He opened his eyes slowly, giving his mind time to adjust to the bright lights. He sat up and grabbed one of Ahsoka's hands gently.

"Alright Rex, we can wake her up now."

He grimaced, wishing there was another way to do this. There wasn't. In order to make it appear as though Ahsoka was really dead they had to put her in a sort of stasis and the only way to wake up was to literally shock her body into to motion once again.

Rex nodded and pressed the Reviver to Ahsoka's upper left chest. She writhed for a few seconds and went still. All was quiet. A silent thought passed through Anakin's mind, _what if she never wakes up? What if something went wrong? What if I didn't lead her Force presence back correctly?_ Then Ahsoka started up suddenly, her breath coming in hitched gasps.

"Ahsoka. Ahsoka, you're okay. You're fine, you've woken up. Just relax."

Her bright cobalt eyes searched the room frantically before focusing on the gentle face of her master. She let out a relieved sigh and relaxed her posture.

"Are you okay, Commander? You were murmuring and tossing and turning all the time."

"I don't… I don't know, Rex. Master, there was this man, he was tall and his hair was long and chestnut and he smelled like tea and grass and he smiled at me. But then there was this other man, his face was all red and black and he was… he was _so evil_. And he killed the nice man, he stabbed him and… and it was terrible. I was so scared and I thought that he was going to hurt me. Master, who was he?"

"That…" Anakin paused, his eyes speaking of pain the depth of oceans. "that was Master Qui-Gon, Snips. My grandmaster. And that evil man was Maul. Maul killed Qui-Gon in front of Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan was devastated; he used his sorrow and his guilt and called the Dark to him. He killed Maul in revenge but it was too late, Qui-Gon was already too far gone. With his dying breath, Qui-Gon made Obi-Wan promise to train me. You know how Yoda always says that we all walk with ghosts behind us? That promise is Obi-Wan's biggest ghost. He wanted Qui-Gon to comfort him, whisper one last praise to him, say that he loves him, but instead he got a promise to train a boy he had barely met. Obi-Wan wasn't even a knight yet, he was a scared young man with a padawan braid and a child to care for. For weeks, years, after his master's death he would have nightmares. Violent, terrifying, and torturous nightmares. I would wake often to find him thrashing about his bed crying out for his master screaming for him to wait and then he would shudder fiercely and go still, moaning and sobbing, begging his Master to be alright. And then after a while, the Force would call to him again and just before he would sink back into its tranquil depths he would whisper, _Rain drowns embers._ And when I would ask him what that means the next morning, he would always deny saying it and telling me to forget about it. You may not know this Snips, but Master Obi-Wan has the most ghosts. He has seen more death and more pain than any man should ever have to bear. Master Yoda once told me that that's why Obi-Wan is so much shorter and more muscular than me. That once he was as tall as Qui-Gon but every time he saw death, another weight would be added to his shoulders and he would have to be strong enough to bear it all or else he would crumple under the weight."

"That's so sad. How does Master Obi-Wan do it? I see clones die every day and I get depressed sometimes. But to have experienced that much pain and keep going… how has he not collapsed yet?"

"Master Obi-Wan is the strongest Jedi you will ever met. Stronger than me, stronger than Mace, even stronger than Yoda. Yoda and Mace may be expert swordsmen and Force users but Obi-Wan is stronger in soul. He has seen death and pain since he was a little boy and he still remains a child of the Light. He is an inspiration to me. Snips, you must promise me not to tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. Not even Master Obi-Wan."

"I promise, Master."

"Remember when I told you that I was Padme's bodyguard on Naboo? Well we weren't on Naboo the whole time. Padme and I went to -"

 _Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._ Anakin sighed and clicked the accept button on his comlink.

"Skywalker here."

"Sir! It's General Kenobi!" Boil's voice was panicked and loud metallic bangs could be heard in the background.

"What is it, Boil? What's happened?!"

"He was fine, just sitting meditating in the docking bay and then all of sudden he got up and started pacing and shouting. Now he's punching the walls and screaming. Waxer's trying to calm him down but the ships in the bay have started rattling and creaking. Sir, you must come quick!"

Anakin was on his feet in an instant.

"I'll be right there. Just don't get him angry. Don't do anything to get him angry." Anakin ended the call and turned to his padawan. "Snips, I have to go. I'm sorry I can't be here -"

"No master, go! Don't worry about me, go take care of Obi-Wan."

The older Jedi nodded and turned to walk out but one final call stopped him,

"But remember one thing Master, _rain drowns embers."_

* * *

If there was a record for fastest sprint ever, Anakin broke it by minutes. He arrived at the docking bay to find it in utter chaos. The ships were creaking and groaning as if they were about to fall apart, crew was running in every direction, and droids flew by him trying to relay orders to other parts of the ship. And above it all was this drum beat. It echoed through the metal chamber like the first beat upon a war drum. _Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom._

Over tucked in a corner away from everyone was the familiar yellow armour of Boil and just beyond him was Waxer and Obi-Wan. Anakin ran over to the clone.

"Boil, I want everyone out of here. Evacuate everyone from this bay until I give the order to come back. And when you're done, get back here. Artoo, go with him. I'm going to try to calm Obi-Wan down but if I can't, you're my backup. I pray to the Force that it doesn't come to that but if it becomes necessary, you may have to sedate him."

Boil nodded and jerked his head to Artoo signalling him to follow. Waxer turned his head and caught sight of the general striding slowly towards him. The clone quietly stepped backwards away from Obi-Wan and stood a few paces from him. Obi-Wan gave no indication that he had even heard anything, he just kept pounding on the wall and mumbling incoherently. His knuckles were raw and bleeding and bloody fist marks littered the wall.

"Obi-Wan… Obi-Wan…" Anakin whispered, worried that any voice above that would startle his master, "Obi-Wan, can you hear me? Can you stop hitting the wall? You're hurting yourself."

"No no no no no no I can't help them no they'll die just like Master Qui-Gon and I'll be alone again!

"No!" _Punch._

"No!" _Punch._

"No!" _Punch. "_ I can't do this. I want to die. Just let me go… please."

The last word almost made Anakin sob. It was whispered so agonizingly. _Obi-Wan really wanted to die. Even heroes eventually fall._ Carefully, Anakin inched closer to his disjointed master until he was close enough to reach out and grab him. The pounding continued, echoing in his ear drums and every time a fist connected with the durasteel walls, a small cry escaped the older Jedi's lips. Extremely slowly Anakin reached out and grabbed Obi-Wan's arms mid-motion. He struggled trying to pull away.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. Just be calm, be calm."

"No no no no I deserve this."

"Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan can you look at me?" Tortured blue-green eyes turned to Anakin and they threatened to pull him in and drown him.

"Obi-Wan, you absolutely do _not_ deserve this. You are stronger than this. Remember, _rain drowns embers._ Can you see the Light?"

Obi-Wan gave up his fight to free himself and nodded weakly.

"Reach out for it and pull it towards you. Embrace it, feel it, soothe yourself with it."

The older Jedi closed his eyes and immediately crumpled forwards into Anakin's arms. Rather ungracefully Anakin stumbled and caught the too-light body of his Master so that he was resting up against the Jedi's chest. He carded a hand through the ginger hair and whispered soothing words and that mantra, _rain drowns embers, rain drowns embers._ Obi-Wan's body shook with sobs and his hands fisted into Anakin's robes. After a few short minutes of embrace, they pulled apart. Anakin held Obi-Wan out and looked him over for any other injuries.

"Obi-Wan, can you walk with me to the med-centre so we can get your hands cleaned up?"

There was no response. Anakin frowned, Obi-Wan's mind seemed to be a billion light years away. He was almost catatonic.

"Obi-Wan? Obi-Wan can you hear me?"

Again, nothing. Flashing a concerned glance at Waxer, he placed an arm around Obi-Wan's shoulders and the clone strode over and did the same on the other side. Slowly they made their way to the medical centre, Boil walking in front guiding people out of the way. Obi-Wan's hands were shaking and he gave no indication that he heard or saw anything. It was terrifying. Obi-Wan had retreated so far within himself and there was nothing Anakin could do to help.

Ahsoka had been sitting up in bed chatting with Rex and Cody when out of the corner of her eye, she saw Anakin and Waxer walk in. Carefully balanced in between them was the stout body of Master Obi-Wan. He was walking on his own accord, fully awake but not fully _there_. His hands were shaking, his knuckles bloody but his mind on the other side of the galaxy. He said nothing, did not look any way but straight and seemed completely oblivious to everything around him. A healer approached them and a quick conversation later, the nearly catatonic Jedi was passed off to a medical droid and they disappeared through a door at the other end of the bay. Anakin approached Ahsoka, his face pressed into a concerned frown.

"Master, what's wrong with Master Obi-Wan? Will he be alright?"

"I hope so, Snips. To be honest, I don't really know what happened. He's okay physically, just some cuts and raw knuckles but it's his mental state that scares me. He's completely shut off from the world. He doesn't respond to any stimuli. I think the dam that has hidden all his emotions has finally broken. Right now it's just a leak but soon it could become a flood."

"Is there anything we can do? I want to help."

"Ahsoka, all we can do right now is support him. We're headed back to Coruscant and once we get there he'll be transferred to the care of the Mind Healers. Hopefully they can do something to purge the Dark from within him. If not… I don't know what I'd do."

There were a few minutes of silence as both Master and Padawan lingered on what life without Obi-Wan would mean before a commotion across the bay caught everyone's attention. The door to Obi-Wan's room flew opened and the sparking pieces of a medical droid came soaring out to crash against the other wall. Anakin was at the door in an instant. Pressed into the corner as if he was trying to disappear into it was Obi-Wan. Bandages and bacta were scattered across the room and a broken syringe lay on the ground a few feet from him. He was sobbing hysterically as if every emotion was coming out at once. _The dam broke_.

"Obi-Wan? What's wrong?"

"Cccouldn't save her… she… she died bbbecause of mmme. I ssssshould justtt die."

"Obi-Wan, don't say that! Who are you talking about?"

"She was so beautiful and now she's gone and it's my fault. My master hates me and he's right. If I had been faster, if I hadn't gotten this shot-" The Jedi gestured to his torso as if there was a wound there. "-she would still be alive. My master would not hate me, her light and joy would still be here."

"Master, who are you talking about?"

"Ttttt… ttahl. Master hasn't visited me in four days. He doesn't want to face me and I know why. I killed his best friend. He should have let me die. I don't deserve to live. I was slow. I was foolish. I was arrogant. I let my ego get the best of me and look what it got us. A strong, amazing, intelligent, bright Jedi Master dead, another so in grief he has shut himself off from the world, and me a useless Padawan with a blaster wound to the stomach."

Anakin started in shock. _He must be stuck in some sort of vision. Some piece of his past must have escaped._

"Obi-Wan, why did you break that droid?"

"Because I deserve to die!" The older Jedi roared. "My master even said so! He said he wants me dead because I let Tahl down! I don't want to be healed. I want to die a painful death like Tahl did and then maybe Qui-Gon will be happy again! He will not have to deal with my filth anymore. He will be free. I am worth _nothing_!" Obi-Wan was positively hysterical by now, his voice screaming and his eyes glittering with something more than rage.

"No, master. You deserve to live. There was nothing you could have done. And look at how many people you have saved since? You have saved hundreds, _thousands_ of lives and you will save hundreds more! But only if you _live_. Please, let us help you. Please, Obi-Wan. I cannot live without you."

"Why does everyone die because I wasn't fast enough? Cerasi, Tahl, Qui-Gon, Satine. Everyone dies because I am not fast enough to save them."

"Obi-Wan, what are you talking about? Satine isn't dead. She's still on Mandalore leading her people in neutrality."

Obi-Wan was silent for a minute, the madness dying like a flame victim to the wind. The crazed panic vanished so quickly, Anakin wasn't sure it wasn't all just a dream.

Obi-Wan looked at his knuckles and flexed, wincing as he did so.

"... Okay. These do really hurt." He spoke with a rueful smile.

Anakin grinned, _the Light seems closer now._

* * *

The former-padawan called a flesh and blood healer this time and sat with his arm around Obi-Wan's shoulders while the painful cuts were treated and wrapped with clean, soft bandages.

"Hey Master, you look like a prize fighter with those bandages around your knuckles." Anakin quipped and he was rewarded with a small smile but it was _something_.

They sat together in silence, the camaraderie and brotherhood speaking volumes for them. At one point, a medical droid entered the room carrying a small tray of food which it placed on the bedside table. Obi-Wan just looked at the food for a few minutes, contemplating whether he wanted to attempt to eat any.

"Obi-Wan, you really need to eat something. You've been working yourself so hard and I'm sure when we get back to Coruscant, you'll be swamped with meetings and briefings. You've got to get your strength back."

The older Jedi nodded gently as he picked up a small cube of cheese and popped it into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed before doing the same with a slice of Okadarin fruit. There was a pause as everything settled and then his face went suddenly pale and he flew off the bed. As soon as the food had hit his stomach, it sent him flying to the refresher, heaving the meagre meal back up.

Anakin dashed after him and placed a strong arm around Obi-Wan. He wet a rag and ran the cool cloth across his Master's face.

"We'll get through this, Obi-Wan. Together."


	5. V

It was a rather uneventful ride to Coruscant from that moment on. Obi-Wan lost his precarious control only twice more, once ending in a fist-sized bruise on Ahsoka's lekku from a flailing limb followed immediately by his wailing cries of apology and the other time, a shredded cloak as Obi-Wan awoke in a fervent vision no doubt dreaming of the dark future he had foreseen.

The _Allegiant's_ planetary shuttle touched down on Temple Landing platform Senth, nearly at the top of the spire. The landing platforms extending up the spire were each named with a different letter of the Aurebesh alphabet starting with Aurek at the bottom and going up to Zerek at the very top.

The healer on the _Allegiant_ had very willingly released the general to the care of the Temple Healers, citing that 'Jedi know how to treat Jedi. I do not.' Obi-Wan was already slated for a long and taxing Council session but not before being thoroughly examined by the healers. When the ship's doctor told him he would be going straight into more healers' exams, Obi-Wan's face remained neutral but to those who really knew him, they knew inside he was panicking, all of the painful memories resurfacing once again. The doctors had wanted the ginger-haired Jedi to be sedated and transported via stretcher to the healing wing but he would not hear any of that. He wouldn't give a reason why but just insisted, rather forcefully, that he would walk and he would be fine.

Side by side, the Hero with No Fear and the Great Negotiator walked down the ramp, their cloaks flowing as if they were records of their past, long, beautiful, and always right behind them. Mace and Healers Oamiril and Rhosault were waiting at the bottom of the ramp facing away from the ship, speaking in hushed voices. Oamiril was an expert in mind healing and Force illness while Rhosault was a body healer who had become a great friend of Obi-Wan and knew what made him nervous and scared. Rhosault was a young male chiss who was replacing the late Vokara Che as head healer. Che had been killed in a ship crash only a few days prior and her pyre was set to be that night.

It seemed like there was a pyre almost every night. Sometimes more than one. The smoke rose out from the East side of the Temple almost constantly. As the shell burned, the soul traversed through the grand halls of the Temple once more before it merely became echoes of a touch, of a scent, of a voice; its final journey before returning home. The Temple had more ghosts than beings in it these days.

Anakin turned around to face Obi-Wan and all he saw was an empty space where his Master was supposed to be. _No no no no no no where did he go? No this isn't good. He's not safe. I don't know what he could be after. Did he have another episode?_

"Mace! Mace, Obi-Wan is gone. He just vanished!"

"Where did he go? We're on a platform with only one entrance!"

"I don't know! If I knew that I wouldn't be here, would I?!"

"Skywalker, relax, think. Did he say anything about where he would go or what he was doing? Anything at all?"

"He told me back when we were on Taeoln that Qui-Gon gave him a mission to protect everyone and that- oh no. Sith's hell!"

"What? What is it?"

"Back on the cruiser, he mentioned something once- that the Sith were attempting to infiltrate the Senate."

Mace's jaw actually _dropped_ before levelling his face into his classic chiselled guise. He reached to his wrist and pressed the call button on his commlink.

"This is Master Windu, authorization code 5112464. We need security assistance to the Senate building. We have a possible rogue Jedi who is believed to be delusional and dangerous."

Anakin winced at the last sentence, to hear Obi-Wan spoken of in such malevolent terms made him sick. _He is my brother, my best friend, I cannot live without him. I cannot fathom life without him. He is the rope holding me on the cliff, my last hope, my last resort. If he lets go, it's not just him who goes with. Obi-Wan if you can hear me, please… please come back._


	6. VI

Obi-Wan was falling.

Falling.

Falling.

Falling.

 _Why did I jump off the landing platform? Honestly how can I scold Anakin for being reckless? He's never jumped off a landing platform hundreds of metres up. Well… actually there was that one time…_

If it weren't for a distracted and foolish speeder driver, Obi-Wan would have plummeted to his untimely and rather painful demise. Using a strong Force push he was able to slow his descent to a speed just slow enough that when he hit the speeder it was a _thud_ and not a _splat_. Hollering at the driver to steer the speeder towards the Senate Building, a deep almost demonic voice screamed in his mind,

 _FOCUS OBI-WAN! Your focus determines your reality! The Senate building. Go to the Senate building! Kill the Sith and change the future! Promise me Padawan, one last time, stop this from happening! You are so close, Little One, so close._

"Master? You're back. Master please, I need to know. For 13 years I've wanted to know. You left before I could ask you then and you did it again back on Taeoln in that Temple. So please answer me this, were you so willing so leave me behind for Anakin? Did you really want to abandon over a decade of life together for a boy you had met only a few days before? Did I really mean so little to you? I will not continue this journey until you answer me. This 'loyal' padawan has had enough."

There was nothing but silence. Pure, unnerving, bitter silence. There was not a whisper of an answer, not a breath of awareness.

"Master? Master, are you there?"

Nothing.

"No! Come back! I didn't mean it! Master! Qui-Gon! Please no! No! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

 _No rain, only embers._

Obi-Wan waited. He waited in that terrible silence for almost an hour. He waited as he watched speeders fly by his perilous perch on the edge of the Senate building. He watched as a few of those speeders stopped and landed nearby as tens of Jedi patrolled outwards, clearly searching for him.

 _What was I thinking asking Master such a question? I knew what he would do and yet I still did it. I was foolish. I was vain. Maybe I should just throw myself right off this edge now. No. No I can't do that. I must finish my mission. I may have angered Qui-Gon but that does not mean I will abandon him completely. Now, how am I going to get into the Chancellor's office when there's no doubt hundreds of Jedi and security forces already there? I know… I have an idea. A very Anakin-esque idea._

* * *

Less than ten minutes later, Obi-Wan was positioned just above the windows of the Chancellor's office. Using a very skilful application of the Force he lowered himself just parallel to the window and gently landed his feet on the edge. In order to prevent such infiltrations as this, the edge was only few centimetres wide. But with the application of the Force, a Jedi could balance on the balls of his feet and use the Force to push themselves up against the windows. Obi-Wan placed his fingertips against the cool glass, closed his eyes and sunk deep into the eddies and currents of the Force.

 _Jedi are the crystal of the Force._

 _Crystal is the heart of glass._

 _Crystal is transparent, the Force is transparent._

 _Shatter the glass, shatter the Force._

 _Change the fates, Obi-Wan, change the fates._

Obi-Wan heard the first crack of the glass before he opened his eyes. A small thin line was tracing its way in a small circle. When it had completed a full 360, the small section of glass carefully slid into the room and set itself upon the lush carpet floor.

A nerf hide boot stepped through, followed by another, and then the stout frame of Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was almost glowing with the Force. The complex Force movements had awoken a different side of him like on that day on Taeoln. A side that yearned for power. Deathly quiet, the corrupted Jedi turned assassin snuck up behind the tall red velvet chair. Perched eerily still in the chair was the gauntly body of Palpatine.

 _That is the Sith_ , the Force whispered, _kill him. Kill him…_

There was a flash of blue and the steady hum of a blade. Obi-Wan held his blade to the neck of the chancellor and whispered menacingly.

"Do anything and your head will leave this room separate from your body. Do not attempt to lie to me, I can see through your Sith lies, _Darth Sidious."_

Palpatine's reaction was unsettling. At the threat of decapitation, there _was_ no reaction. At the suggestion that he was a Sith, no reaction. At the drop of his name, a name no one Light was supposed to know, there was the first sign of reaction.

A smile.

A Sith-spawned, sickening, spiteful smile.

"Master Kenobi, how nice of you to _drop_ by. Is there a reason for this lovely visit or did you just want to stop in and say hello?"

"You know why I'm here. Now, call for the destruction of all droid factories and foundries and the complete and final termination of the _entire_ Separatist army."

"Now why would I do a thing like that?"

"I'm warning you, Sidious. Despite my sobriquet, I am _not_ in the mood to negotiate."

Kenobi, his ochre eyes shining with animosity, pressed the sabre closer to the Chancellor's neck. Now the sabre was closer enough that angry red burns were being to manifest themselves on the pale skin.

"Fine, Master Kenobi. I see I have no other choice." Palpatine reached for the comm centre located on his desk. And the silent panic alarm button just next to it. He moved quickly jabbing the button just as a flash of blue flame danced through the air and suddenly there were two hands, disconnected from their owner, lying on the ground beside the desk.

"Oh, it looks like you need a _hand_. Let me help you," Kenobi spat with a twisted smile before clicking the 'place call' button on the panel. "Now, do it."

Palpatine shot an irate glance up at the corrupted Jedi.

"This is Darth Sidious calling for the total destruction of all Separatist droids, factories, foundries, and ships. There has been a complete surrender to the Republic and any remaining droids that are discovered still operational are to be destroyed on sight. All Separatist leaders are to turn themselves into custody and face trial for war crimes against the Republic."

"See, that wasn't so hard now was it? Too bad I will kill you anyways."

There was a flash of something on Palpatine's face so unlike him, Kenobi was not so sure he wasn't dreaming. There was _fear_. But just before he could strike the deadly blow, the doors to the office hissed open.

"You will not stand in the way of my mission!" Kenobi screamed as Mace Windu and a few other Jedi entered the room, blades drawn.

"Master Kenobi, put your sabre down now and surrender!" Windu's baritone voice rang out.

"No! I will not! This monster deserves to die. He deserves to die for all the people he has taken from us. All of our friends, all of our brothers, sisters, _mentors._ And he will die."

Kenobi jerked and pull his sabre back and through the neck of the Sith lord.

Mace's face dropped into an even sombre grimace as he spoke,

"Restrain him now."

But before the other Jedi could act on those orders, Kenobi's eyes rolled back in his head and he hit the ground… _hard._

 _When it's embers, embers, everywhere, enemies of the Jedi should beware._


	7. VII

A low moan escaped the Jedi's lips as he reached a small and weak hand to stroke the mahogany beard on the face above him.

"Master? Is that you? Please don't go. Not this time. I am so sorry for what I said. I need you. I love you… please stay…"

A hand caught his; a soft, not yet fully calloused hand.

"It's not Master Qui-Gon. It's Anakin. Master Qui-Gon is gone."

Obi-Wan's eyes widened with heartbreak as a crestfallen tear slid down that gaunt face.

"No… I failed." That voice, scarcely above a whisper and so heart-breaking, even the most emotionless creatures would shed a tear.

The beautiful, gentle, timeless, kind, thoughtful blue-grey eyes froze.

And the heartbeat went flat.

* * *

"Obi-Wan? Obi-Wan, can you hear us? Obi-Wan? Obi-Wan? No! Obi-Wan please! Please can you hear us? What happened?!" Anakin's voice was panicked and its normally melodic tone now dripped sorrow.

He placed his head on his master's now-still chest and shook with violent sobs. If anyone replied to him, he didn't hear it. All Anakin heard was that sound, the single tone of the heart rate monitor, the sound of hope dying, the sound of life vanishing, the sound of a future never going to be lived.

"No…. No no no! He can't be gone! I can't live without him!"

Healer Rhosault came flying into the room with a crash cart and a team of healers.

But Anakin would not move.

"Master, master you need to move. They might be able to save him. Please, Anakin. Come here." Ahsoka whispered to Anakin as she pulled him away from Obi-Wan. She glanced at the still form of her grandmaster and swallowed bile, _not to him. It cannot be._ Anakin, still sobbing, hugged Ahsoka tighter as she pushed him down to sit on the ground and placed a gentle hand on the top of his head.

And in that room where the sorrow hung like fog in a valley, a shared thought passed through the minds of everyone,

 _Obi-Wan… we need you… please…_


	8. VIII

She knew the moment it happened. Taria could feel it, a bright light burning out like a supernova. Her best friend, gone. Sitting bolt upright in her chair where she had been watching the initiate class work through Ataru kata 73, she sprinted out of the room calling to the senior padawan assisting her to take over. She ran, and ran, and ran letting her legs and her mind carry her to where she was needed. Quite literally screeching to halt in front of the Healer's main desk, she demanded the information the Force could tell her easily.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, where is he? I need to see him now!"

"Master Damsin, please settle down. I cannot tell you where he is. You must wait for a Healer to fetch you. If you need medical assistance, you can fill out-"

"No I'm not injured! My best friend is! And if you won't tell me where he is then I'll just find him myself!"

"Master Damsin, wait you can't-"

"My. Name. Is. Taria." The teal-haired Master angrily shouted behind her at the padawan.

 _Which room is it… which room… listen to the call, listen to the Force, listen to that voice._

… _Right, Left, 3rd door…_ it whispered. But she didn't need that last piece of information because as she rounded the corner she was hit by the strongest feeling of sorrow ever experienced in her lifetime. It was as though an entire galaxy had collapsed and all that was left was a black hole, soulless, dark, unseeing. And perhaps it was the collapse of a galaxy.

The collapse of a galaxy where his humour and warmth lit up the Force like twin suns.

The collapse of a galaxy that would never see those beautiful eyes bright again.

The collapse of a galaxy where lives were saved by a man with a heart bigger than all others. The collapse of a galaxy where Obi-Wan Kenobi lived and the collapse of Anakin Skywalker's galaxy.

Bursting into the room with no regard for manners or proper etiquette, Taria didn't know where to look first. So instead, her eyes flickered across the room glancing at every detail for only a second. In the corner, Anakin sat, tears and tremors racking his body while his padawan, the Togruta ran a gentle hand through that long hair and murmured hushed nothings into his ear. Near the bed, the stout form of Healer Rhosault and a team of healers huddled around the still form of her best friend. Taria heard the Chiss say the words nobody ever wants to hear, not in a thousand lifetimes and a million galaxies,

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, deceased. Time: 5.25 hours post meridian."

 _Obi… I'm too late…_

Everybody in the Temple felt it. All the way at the top of Temple in the Council Chambers, where the Council members all fell silent and looked towards the empty seat, to the lowest level of the training dojos where knights, masters, and padawans all set down their sabres and bowed their heads. _This is what happens when a hero dies._

The oppressive silence was broken by a distressed cry that startled all.

"Master?" Anakin cried as he flew up to the still body. Ahsoka was right at his heels trying to pull him away.

"Anakin, Anakin, he's gone. Come on, Anakin, let him go. It was his time. Let him rejoin the Force. He deserves peace."

"No! He's not gone! I can feel him! I can feel his light. His real self. Not that man that Temple shaped him into. The Dark inside him is dying. Snips, reach, you can feel him too. I know you can."

Ahsoka sighed and shot a pleading glance towards Rhosault. He simply nodded back saying without words, _just do it. Maybe it will help him let go._

The Togruta closed her eyes and sank deep into the Force being pushed under by the eddies and currents of the light. She could feel the blaze of her Master burning just beyond her touch, his sorrow, anger, and passion, a volatile mix that threatened to scald her. She could hear his thoughts pouring off, _it's all my fault, he's gone, what am I going to do, I can't live without him, I love him and I killed him…_ but if she listened very carefully, hidden behind those cries was a different voice. A smooth, melodic, finely-accented voice. _Obi-Wan!_

… _Help me… I can't get out… The Dark, a cage, trapped… It's overpowering me… Help…_

Taria watched as the young padawan's eyes snapped open and her jaw dropped.

"Sith's hell, he's right. Obi-Wan is still alive there. He hasn't joined the Force. He says he's trapped by the Dark Side, that it's got him in some sort of a cage and he can't get out. I think he needs help. Help from someone who's known him for a while."

All six pairs of eyes turned to face the short green-blue haired master who stood by the door. Realization dawned on the Ghainian master's face.

"No. No, I can't do it! Have Anakin do it. I'll mess something up! I always mess things up! Anakin should be the one to do it!"

"With all due respect, Taria, have you seen Anakin? He is in no condition to help." Healer Rhosault spoke, his low voice resonating through the room.

"But I can't! Have Mace or Yoda do it! Not me!"

"Please, you have to! Obi-Wan doesn't have that much time left!" The young Togruta pleaded.

"Fine… I'll do it." Taria acquiesced as she moved over next to the body of her age mate, her best friend, the keeper of her last and darkest secret. "How am I supposed to do this anyways?"


	9. IX

Ahsoka spoke before Rhosault, her soft voice laced with grief, "Sink into the Force, let it breathe with you. He's there, deep under, the Dark is smothering him, trying to drag him under. Reach out for him and let him use you to pull himself back."

Damsin nodded in acknowledgment and closed her eyes, drawing from the memories of the past.

"Obi-Wan? Obi-Wan do you hear me? Please come back… we need you! If you can hear me, please say something, anything. We need you, _I_ need you. We are the keepers of each other's secrets, the one each other can turn to when the rest of the universe shudders away in darkness. Think of Anakin, and Ahsoka, what will they do without you? What will I do without you?"

" _Taria… help me… I need your help… The past, thinking of the past, it helps but I'm not strong enough… Please… you're the only one who can help me…"_

"I'll try Obi-Wan, come with me, look at all these memories we shared…"

 _The days they snuck out of advanced galactic history to go swim in the lake._

 _The immense food fight in the refectory where they managed to get knights, masters, and even Yoda in on the action. That was, until a poorly aimed shot of mashed ynoteri ended up hitting Even Piell in the face._

 _The hours upon hours of time spent in the training salles, slaving over katas and sparring sequences until everyone was bruised and exhausted._

 _Hide and Seek in the Archives, Obi-Wan was always the best, he could quietly climb any shelf and squeeze his small body into the gap between the top and the ceiling._

The bright images began to fade as black ink began to stain the edges of her vision and the faint sound of tears could be heard…

" _Tahl… Cerasi… Reeft… Qui-Gon… and now Siri…"_

"No, Obi-Wan. Not those memories. Not those. Those will only pull you deeper. Reach above. Reach above, reach for the rain, you can do this. What about the time when Tahl and Master Qui-Gon took us to that beach and you got bitten by a crab? Or the time when we snuck out of the Temple late to go see the Hawk-Bat Band play? The time we pranked Master Qui-Gon by telling him you had failed Intermediate Diplomatics and he fainted and then grounded you for a month after he woke up?"

" _And then when he found out it was all a joke he grounded me for an extra month for scaring him and for the bruise on the back of his head? Or what about the time when you got grounded for a week by Master Sol for coming home 2 minutes after your curfew?"_

"Yes, I remember that, Obi-Wan. As much as I was grateful to have such a great master teaching me, he really was a bit strict. But do you remember the time just after Garen passed his trials that we went out and got plastered on flaming kyri liquor shots and you had to drive us home?"

" _That was an adventure. Trying to get Bant, Garen, you, and Reeft all into an aircar was like trying to get a herd of lothcats into a closet. Bant was so out of it. Something with her amphibian system must have made that alcohol ten times more potent. You guys were hungover for days."_

Obi-Wan's soft voice went silent and Taria's nervousness spiked.

"Obi-Wan? Obi-Wan! Are you okay? Don't you dare leave me now!"

 _The cage… it's dissolving… it's working… the Dark is almost gone… I can breathe without it pressing down on my chest… the embers are disappearing… it's raining… the rain is back…_

"That's it, Obi-Wan. Reach for the rain, let it soothe it you. The rain will wash away pain. Let it turn the embers into smoke; something to just be blown away and dispelled."

 _It's gone… it's gone… the embers are gone… I can breathe…_

"All that you have to do now, Obi-Wan, is come back to us. In the real world. It can be dark and painful but there are so many reasons to stay strong. There's Anakin, and Ahsoka, and Bant, and all the younglings you teach, they need you Obi-Wan, they look up to you. Heck, the whole _galaxy_ looks up to you."

She was not given a response. But a sudden hoarse gasp answered her question. Abandoning her place deep in the Force, she retreated back to that sterile white medical room in the Jedi Temple. And opened her eyes to see the brightest cyan eyes staring back up at her.

"Obi-Wan…" she sobbed as she ran a hand through his hair.

* * *

"Thank you, Taria. It seems once again I owe you my life. What luck you happened to be in the right place at the right time." He managed to cough out, his voice dry.

"You cheeky lothcat, you _knew_! You knew that I would come." The teal-haired Jedi said incredulously before smacking her best friend on the arm.

"Hey! Watch it! I _am_ injured, you know."

"Oh shush up already before I have to tape your mouth shut." She teased as she reached up to brush away a tear on her face but instead discovered she was not crying. It was blood. Same from her nose.

"Oh great. Of course it had to happen now." _Damned Borotavi syndrome. More reasons to hate this sith-spawned disease._

Ahsoka stared in shock when Master Damsin turned around and if it were possible her jaw dropped even lower when the Jedi calmly asked for a cloth as if blood pouring from her eyes and nose was normal. _Could it be that it was normal? There had been a rumour spread through the temple that Master Damsin had been critically injured after a mission but that had sputtered out after she was spotted the day after she returned walking around the Temple with no sign of injury._

Healer Rhosault was not so much shocked as saddened by Master Damsin's sudden bleed.

"Taria, what have I told you about overexerting yourself? You're only speeding up the inevitable."

"Well if it's going to happen, at least let Obi-Wan be at my side when it does."

Ahsoka was downright confused now, _what in Yoda's name are they talking about?_

"I'll just return to my quarters now, I guess. That way Obi-Wan can get checked out and have a chat with his padawan." Taria whispered over the silence before striding quickly out of the room in a rustle of olive green robes.

A small voice whispered, "Obi-Wan? Are you really back?"

"Yes, Anakin. I am really back. The _real_ me."

That was all the permission Anakin needed. He flew to the side of the bed and pulled Obi-Wan up in a bone-crushing hug and sobbed.

"Shh… it's okay. I'm okay… Thank you for hearing me." The older master whispered as he ran a hand through the mop of brown hair on his padawan's head. After a few moments, Anakin pulled back and let his master settle back upon the pillows.

And everyone smiled.


	10. X

It was almost five days later when Obi-Wan finally stood in front of the Council to give his report. At first, he was worried he would be reprimanded for his murder of Palpatine but when he arrived he was _congratulated_. Apparently after Obi-Wan had collapsed and was taken to the Temple, Mace had gone through the office and discovered hundreds of plans for prototype droids and crafts. Ones that could easily have wiped out the Grand Army of the Republic in mere seconds. But what had really frightened him was the discovery of the control chips in the clones, and the command called 'Order 66'. It detailed a cataclysmic plan to execute all the Jedi and allow an Empire to rise up in the chaos. It had even made Mace Windu, master of the Jedi Order, sick to his stomach. If Obi-Wan had not done what he did, the entire Jedi Order would have been destined for complete genocide. It was Adi Gallia who handed him the press-release that had been engineered about the Chancellor's death:

 _Galactic Republic Press - 78.489.631432_

 _Obituary for Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine_

 _It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, head of the Galactic Senate of the Republic. Born on Naboo, he was an advocate for peace and universal rights. After serving in the Senate as the Nabooian Ambassador, he was elected to the position of Supreme Chancellor. From his position as leader, he led our republic through the beginning of the Clone Wars with grace and dignity. The Chancellor was hit by enemy fire while visiting with war refugees on Rellusa. A memorial is set for the first day of next week._

Obi-Wan fought the urge to snicker, 'an advocate for peace'? _More like an ambassador for death_. _But if that's what it took to bury the whole matter, so be it._ He wanted this to be behind him as quickly as possible. The Council had immediately reinstated his position when they received word of his passed medical assessments from Healers Rhosault and Oamiril. He was welcomed back with open arms to all areas of Temple life and given a month of leave. The war still raged, but the end was much closer now. Taria was the first one to visit him when he finally returned to his quarters, bringing enough food to feed a herd of banthas _twice_. They swapped stories and memories, indulging in laughter and friendship. Anakin and Ahsoka continued to visit often when not dashing around the universe on missions or recovering the medical bay. Cody continually checked up on him and Obi-Wan's 'mothering' continued to be a source of laughter and talk among the clone regiments for the following weeks and it has no plan to disappear for a long long while at least until it fails to make their general's cheeks blush the brightest scarlet in the galaxy. Obi-Wan taught more and more classes, rapidly becoming one of the top requested instructors on the register. All he could feel was Light now, the smothering dark was gone, the rain washing all traces of those embers away;

 _Rain soothes the burning soul, soothes the raging pain._

 _Let rain fall, and the Dark will never take all._

 _Such is the path of the Jedi, the path of embers and rain._


End file.
